Walk-in refrigerator cooled by a forced air circuit



Sept. 28, 1948. 'c. c. BRINKOETER 2,450,109 WALK-IN REFRIGERATOR COOLED BY A FORCED AIR CIRCUIT Filed Aug. 28, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 f INVENTOR,

5 C Zinton GBriw7roe2'u;

ATTORNEY C. C. BRINKOETER WALK-IN REFRIGERATOR COOLED BY A FORCED AIR CIRCUIT Sept. 28, 1948.

Filed Aug. 28, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOHNEY.

- 2,450,109 LED T Sept. 28, 1948. c. c. BRI,

WALK-IN REFRIG BY A FORCED NKOETER ERATOR COO AIR CIRCUI 4- SheetsSheet 3 Filed Aug. 28, 194s INVEINTOR, C 22711071 GBTL' n/foefter,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 28, 1948 WALK-IN REFRIGERATOR COOLED BY A FORCED AIR CIRCUIT 1 Clinton 0. Brinkoeter, San Antonio, Tex., assignor San Antonio, Tex., a. corto Ed Friedrich, Inc., poration of Texas Application August 28, 194 Serial No. 693,523

My invention relates to refrigerators of the walk-in type, i. e. such as are used' by florists, butchers, etc.

The invention has for its objects:

1. To provide a walk-in type of cooler which can be located in a corner of a room adjacent to the ceiling.

2. To provide a. cooling unit which, for a room of a given cubic foot capactiy, will be more eflicient than those heretofore known. 3. To provide a cooling unit of a simple construction which will effectively serve it intended purposes. 3

Other objects will in part be obvious and: in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends invention further resides in the novel details of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which will first be described in detail hereinafter and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a walk-in cooler embodying my invention, the section being taken on the line of Fi 2.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-'-2 of Fig. l. a

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4. 1

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow a in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of the con back plate having the large simple perforations in its upper part and smaller air-scoop in its lower part.

Fig. '7 is a detail elevation of the blower showing the intake side.

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional perspective view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings in which like numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures, I represents the bottom or floor of the chamber to be cooled, 2 the side and end walls, 3 a doorway or opening, and 4 a perforated ceiling.

The outer shell 6 is insulated with suitable heat-cold insulation 5 as is also the door I, a base trim 8 is provided as usual. A top plate 9 is spaced above the foraminous ceiling 4 and holds the insulation 5 above it against falling to the ceiling '4. By this construction a space i left which comprises a top duct Ill.

The refrigerating unit, by means of which the 7 Claims. (Cl. 62-402) 2 temperature within the room R is lowered to a definite degree, is now located in a corner of the room adjacent the ceiling 4 and includes a removable main front plate ll having fastening or mounting flanges 12 secured in any suitable way, as by screws,for example, to the adjacent walls 2, and a removable upper front plate 45 having side flanges I6 for securing to the side walls2. The plate II has an opening M'into whichthe edges of the plate are bent as at l3. The plate H is also secured to the bottom plate I'I'of the unit. The plate H has a drain hole 18 and a front flange I9 to which flange a baflle 20 is also secured.

The refrigerator unit'als'o includes two side walls 2| which lie against the adjacent walls 2 of theroom. I w

The space between the bottom H and the plate Sabove is divided into a warm air receiving chamber 23 and a cooling chamber by a transverse partition 22 having an air discharge opening 24 and serving to support a centrifugal fan or blower 25 whose outlet registers with the opening'24: The partition 22 also supports the drive motor 26 for the blower 25. The plate 15 serves as a removable front forthe chamber 23. 1 'Below the partition 22 is a 45 bafile plate 21 which extends from one side plate 2| tothe other and terminates at the upper end of a vertical partition 28 that is spaced from the foraminous plate 3l-to-1eave a vertical down duct 30, the plate 28 having a bottom extension 29 spaced above the bottom plate l1 and cooperating with an extension 34 of plate 3| below the cooling coil unit, the plate 3|; above the level of the lower end of the baflle 21, has relatively large simple holes 32 and below that level has smaller scooplike openings 33.

The space between the opening l4 and plate 3| is filled with the cooling coil 35 and its fins'36.

The coil 35 at the bottom join a. header 31 and at the top they join a header 38. A liquid refrigerant line 39, which includes a suitable expansion valve 4|, connects to the header 3'! while a suction duct 42 connects with the header 38, the duct 42 and a part of the line 39 are enclosed in a casing 40 forming a heat interchanger.

Provision is made for lubricating the motor 26 without removing the front plate 15 by the provision of an oil line 45 having a suitable inlet fixture 46. The power outlet for the motor is indicated by 41.

The drain hole l8 connects with an off-take duct 44 having a suitable trap 43 to hold water as an air seal.

Assuming that a suitable refrigerant is flowing through the coil 35 and that the blower 25 is operating, air will be drawn into duct l0, via the holes in ceiling 4, and from thence into chamber 2 3 to blower 25. The blower then forces the air down against baflle 21 by which it is deflected forwardlyadownwardly ithrough the holes 32 and scoops 33 between thefins 36 and over the'coils 35 to and through the opening I4 into the chamber to be cooled.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation and advantages of my invention will beclear 'to. those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a walk-in cooler having a room bounded by a top wall, side and end walls and afio'or; and having a perforated ceiling spaced from :said top wall to provide an air-"-duct, the improvement whichcomprises: an. air-coolingand circulating uni-t'located in one corner of the room'adj-acent said ceiling and above saidfioor, said unit including ablowerand motor chamber in communication with said air duct anda cooling chamber below said blower and motor chamber, a motordriven blower insaid blower and motor chamber, thewblower receiving air from said blower and motorvchamber and forcing it down into said cooling chamber, and means in said cooling chamber for cooling the air passing through said cooling chamber and passing the, air into said room.

2. In a walk-in cooler having a room bounded by a top wall, side and end wallsand a floor, and having. a perforated ceiling spaced from said top wall to provide an air duct, the improvement which comprises: an air-cooling and circulating unit located in one corner of the room adjacent said ceiling and above said floor, said unit including-a blower and motor chamber in communicationwith said air duct and a cooling-chamber below said blower and motor chamber, a motordriven blower in said blower and motor chamber, the blower receiving air from said blower and motor chamber and forcing it down intosaid cooling chamber, and means in said cooling chamber for cooling the air passing through said cooling chamber and passing the airinto said room, said cooling means includes a cooling coil,

upper and lower headers for said-coil, an expans-ionline whichincludes an expansion valve and is connected to said-lowerheader," a duct connected to said upper header, and a casing enclosing a portion of said expansion line and said duct as a heat interchanger.

3. Ina walk-in cooler having a room bounded by a top wall, side and end walls and a-fioor, and having a perforated ceiling spaced from said top wall to provide an air duct, the improvement which comprises: an air-cooling and circulating unit located in one corner of the room adjacent said ceiling and above said floor, said unit including a blower and motor chamber in communication with said air duct and a cooling chamber below said blower and motor chamber, a motor-driven blower in said-blower and motor chamber, the blower receiving air from said blower and motor chamber and forcing it down into said cooling chamber, and means in said cooling chamber for cooling the air passing through said cooling chamber and passing the air into said room, said means for cooling includes a-cooling coil, a back plate adjacent said coil and having opening-s in its upper portion and air scoopsin its lower portion, and down-airduct from the blower to and along said back plate.

' 4. In a walk-in cooler having an air duct betweena top wall and a foraminous ceiling, the improvement which comprises: an air circulating and cooling. unit located in a corner of the cooler adjacent said ceiling, said unit including a vertical front wall secured across said corner andhaving an opening, a cooling coil adjacent said opening and in back of said vertical front wall, a horizontal partition located above said cooling coil and having an opening, a motor-driven blower for receiving air from said air duct and forcing it below said horizontal partition,- a foraminous vertical partition in back of said coils, a'defiecting partition against which air from the blower is drivenand by Which it is deflected to the cooling coil, and a duct from the lower end of said deflecting partition to the lowermost coil, said foraminous vertical partition having air passages for purposes described.

5. A walk-in cooler according to claim 4 wherein there is a partition below and spaced from said coil and having a drain-hole and-a front flange, and a-defiecting plate projected through the openingin said vertical front wall and. secured to said flange.

6. A walk-in cooler according to claim 4 wherein there isa partition below and spaced from the coil and having a drain-hole, a trapped drain duct leading from said hole to the outside ofthe cooler.

7. A walk-in cooler according'to claim 4-whe-rein means are provided bywhich the motor may be oiled from the outside of the cooling unit.

CLINTON C. BRINKOETER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,164,392 Porges Dec. 14, 1915 2,004,691 Friedrich 'June 11,- 1935 

